“Oh sure, she was just going to hang up my coat… uh, okay sure.” Kyra shrugged. “Wait.”
Renaldo paused.
“First you must tell me my name,” she said. Did she know the effect she had on him? He knew when a woman flirted and this young ripe beauty seemed intent on doing just that. Renaldo dialed back in his memory bank and remembered the pencil neck guy who screeched her name in the office. He assumed the visit was unexpected or undesired by the flushed manner in which she spoke to him. Renaldo watched as she pulled the man away to speak to him privately, mildly amused.
“Well? Do you remember?” she poked him in the chest.
Renaldo frowned. He looked down at where she poked him and then into her eyes. What kind of courtship was this? She blinked those doe-like eyes at him and he realized it was her cute sense of humor. Interesting. American women were quite interesting. Renaldo smiled. “Your name is Kyra,” he answered with a polite nod.
“Very good.” Kyra grinned. “And your English is good too.”
“Grazie,” Renaldo replied.
Kyra expelled a long breath. “Everyone’s here huh?” she asked. She glanced toward the event room and delayed them further. “The Battaglia women are in there, aren’t they?”
Though Kyra looked like a movie star she chewed on her bottom lip and fidgeted with the beaded strap to her purse with reserved shyness. Renaldo liked the tension in her manner. It made her real, instead of just the fantasy he conjured as he undressed her in his mind. He had many girlfriends. He didn’t lead the lifestyle for a wife or something more permanent. And he never indulged his desires while on the job.
He offered his arm. She graciously slipped hers around it and he walked her to the doors of the private dining room. Tino gave a single nod of his head at Renaldo and opened the door.
“Uh, thanks,” Kyra said once they entered.
Renaldo released her. What choice did he have? She left his side without another word. There had to be at least a hundred employees in attendance. The arrangement wasn’t the classic setting for a formal dinner. Instead of just a long table and chairs, the suite had a lounge area that faced a cozy fireplace for before dinner socializing. The employees kept their distance from the Battaglias. Only the top in management were seated near them. Kyra joined the exclusive gathering without pause or consideration. Renaldo appreciated her bravery.
The flirtatious moment shared between them, though brief, lingered in his psyche and he stole one final glance to his lady in jade. She smiled graciously at the others and took a seat.
“It’s such a pleasure to meet you again, Catalina, Marietta. I’m a fan, I mean I respect your work with Mirabella, uh, and the company.” Kyra said. “I’ve seen your work with Fabiana’s too. Very nice.”
“Did you make those shoes?” Marietta asked.
Kyra glanced down at her feet. “I did. I call them my Stellas.”
“Oh Kyra is so cute. She loves to staple cloth and crystals on dime store shoes,” Bette chuckled. “One day she came in with a pair she had colored with markers.”
The laughter of the other managers made Kyra’s cheeks burn hot with shame. However hurt she was by their mockery it did not compare to the startled disappointment she felt to see Bette as the leader. Bette sipped from her martini glass, her stare focused on Kyra above the rim. She then continued. “Kyra knows not to take any of our materials though for her special projects with those drag queens.”
“Drag queens?” Catalina glanced over to Marietta. “Che cosa?” she asked Marietta.
“Drag queens are men who dress like women,” Marietta said.
“Oh!” Catalina said and her gaze swung back to Kyra as if seeing her differently.
Kyra wished to disappear. She had no cute comeback or witty remark to make. She was too hurt and embarrassed to say a word. Even Mr. Tate stared at her with open hostility. What had she done wrong? Maybe she should have stayed back with the junior staff members who kept their distance from this group.
Marietta Battaglia smiled at her. “I used to wear dime store shoes, and make them sexy when I was a stripper in Chi-town.” Bette began choking on her martini. Marietta shot her a withering glare. “You got a problem with that?”
“Ah, no. No.” Bette tried to recover.
Marietta smiled at Kyra. “Takes talent to turn shit to sugar. Doesn’t it, sweetie?” Marietta asked. Kyra only nodded in response. “Which is probably why my sister wants to shut down this shitty operation run by these bitches.” Marietta tossed a glare back over to Bette. Catalina reached over and touched Marietta’s hand. She said something in Italian, which silenced Mirabella’s sister. Kyra was shocked. She knew Mirabella was refined and cultured, but this sister of hers had a hard edge like the women she knew in her old neighborhood. And for whatever reason she took an instant disliking to Bette for making fun of her.
A blush stained Bette’s face. The poor woman looked like she would bolt any minute. The others were silent and respectful. As if to even breathe a word would bring down a lightening bolt. Kyra recognized the tension in the air and was able to define it. The tension was fear.
She decided to be the brave one and speak. “I just like making beautiful accessories. No matter the canvas. These shoes I wrapped in silk, and sewed in each emerald crystal myself. They sparkle like jewels in the moonlight. That’s why I wore them with the dress from Mirabella’s.” Kyra said. She gave Cleo a sideways glance. The evil woman had specifically told her she was not invited. So why was she there? Either she lied or she finagled an invite and purposefully teamed up with Bette to make this night miserable. Kyra calmed herself. She had chosen to ignore her recommendation for silver accessories. She’d done so because she knew fashion possibly better than them both. Bette and Cleo glared openly at her. The tension between the women charged the atmosphere. The ladies sipped their drinks not taking their eyes off one another.
“Benissima,” Catalina said. “I like the shoes, now can we change the subject about the girl’s feet?”
Mr. Tate laughed. The others chuckled. Catalina nudged Marietta who continued to glare at Bette and Cleo. “We need to hear about Carole Montague’s latest project.” Catalina said. She set her martini down on the coaster. “Which one of you is the lead on the event she will have next month in Paris?”
Three people spoke at once. Each one of them clamored to share their version of the projects status. Kyra accepted a drink from a server and tried to listen and pretend at being interested. However, the openly hostile look Marietta Battaglia kept flashing Bette was far more entertaining.
Renaldo smiled. The jade goddess looked uncomfortable. He could hear her jubilant voice over the others at first. Now she sat silent with her drink in her hand.
“Can I speak with you?”
Renaldo looked over to see Tate had left the others and come his way. If he hadn’t been so focused on Kyra he would have been aware of Tate’s approach. This is why he never let women distract him. He should always maintain focus. He nodded to Mr. Tate that he would listen to what he had to say right where the man stood. He knew of Tate’s connection to Don Mancini in Sicily and didn’t trust the bastard.
The man loosened his tie. He perspired as if he’d just left a sauna. And his face was flushed with his internal heat. “I want a conversation with your boss,” Tate stated.
Renaldo arched a brow.
“Ugh, Giovanni Battaglia. I’d like to have a conversation, a sit down, you know meeting with him. I’ve made several attempts to contact Mirabella and she isn’t returning my calls.” He combed his hand back through his hair. “I think it’s customary that I go through him? Right? A respect thing with you Italians?”
“Sicilian,” Renaldo said through clenched teeth.
“Yeah, yeah, right. Sicilian. I placed a call to him but he hasn’t responded.” Tate looked back at Catalina and Marietta who seemed engrossed in what the employees were sharing. “Can you help me?”
“I will deliver the message.�
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Mr. Tate sighed. “Grazie. Thank you.” He walked off. Kyra rose from her seat on the sofa. She walked away from the women, stopping to speak with a few of the clusters of people gathered. She eventually made her way toward him with her drink in hand. A server approached her and she scanned the samples on his silver tray. She began to pick cheese and small pastries to nibble.
She glanced up to Renaldo as she popped one in her mouth. After chewing and licking those lips he’d love to suck she approached him. “Are you hungry?”
Renaldo smiled. She was indeed flirting.
“Don’t they let you eat? Or do you just stand there and say nothing all night?” she asked.
Renaldo didn’t answer. He liked the twang of an accent in her voice. He couldn’t place it but she had to be from somewhere other than just the States. She reminded him of the Nubian beauties he’d encountered in Italy. Kyra glanced back to those gathered and sipped her drink. Her gaze then shifted to him. “How does one get close to those two women?” she glanced to Renaldo. “I think Marietta likes my shoes. Catalina is polite but not very interested. I want to tell them about… my ideas.” Kyra passed her drink off to a server and dusted her hands. She turned and faced him. “Can you give me a tip? This is my big chance you know? I’m just the secretary. Mr. Tate wants me to…”
Renaldo arched a brow at her hesitance. She was about to share something and thought better of it. Kyra gave him a girlish chuckle. “I don’t really fit in here,” she said.
“You try too hard. Relax, bella,” he said. “Catalina is from Sicily. Marietta is American like you. Talk to her, she’d listen,” he said more than he intended to. But part of him wanted her to succeed at whatever her heart desired.
“That easy? Huh?” she teased him with another one of her dazzling smiles.
“Let the night flow,” he replied.
Kyra blinked at him. Her long lashed eyes were the biggest flirty appeal to her face. He could stare into those eyes all evening. Then she favored him a smile and he had to reconsider his initial thought. It was her smile that was her best feature. Including the two dimples she brought up in her cheeks. “I guess I am nervous. It’s just that, well those women are so beautiful.”
“So are you,” Renaldo said.
“You’re flirting with me!” Kyra chuckled. “I didn’t figure you for the kind of man that would. You seem too uptight.”
He arched a brow.
“See. Right there. Every time I say something you either go silent or arch your left brow,” she teased. “So what are you, a bodyguard?”
“Yes. I guard bodies,” he said.
Kyra laughed lightly. “Where are you from? Italy?”
He didn’t bother to answer. Where he was from and who he was wasn’t relevant. And he wasn’t prone to explaining himself. She stared at him as if she expected a response. When she realized he wouldn’t offer one the crease at the center of her brow deepened. “Well I’m from Nigeria. I came here when I was three. And…” her voice trailed off. “Never mind that,” Kyra sighed. She looked around at the polished dining room area and then back to him. “Nice talking to you, Renaldo,” she said.
He nodded his head. Kyra walked back over to the others. Though she wasn’t invited to sit with Marietta and Catalina she did so. And her effort flowed naturally. She glanced his way and he nodded to remind her to relax. She smiled, and nodded her head in the conversation offering only her opinion when asked. She was a quick learner. Brains and beauty, he got a hard-on for the combination.
***
The night progressed without incident. Or so he thought until he noticed the one person who couldn’t stop her giggles. Kyra sipped more champagne and grinned at the table. No joke was told. But she appeared to find humor in everything that was said. It was clear to the guests that his goddess in jade had too much of the sauce.
“I think I’ll call it a night,” Marietta said. She rose from the table and offered a cheek kiss to Catalina. Renaldo had to shift his attention to his other boss Lorenzo Battaglia’s wife. In his business every man that ranked higher than him was his boss. But Lorenzo was Don Giovanni’s left hand, his cousin, and the most ruthless in the clan. If Marietta stumped her toe Renaldo could easily suffer the wrath of Lorenzo.
Marietta cast Kyra a sideways look of concern and then walked toward the door. Renaldo escorted her out. He gave a nod to Tino who immediately fell in line to escort Marietta to her room. He’d make sure she was in her room safely for the evening and would remain outside her door until Renaldo decided against it. The primary job for Tino and Peppino was protecting the loved ones of the Battaglia men. These women’s lives were more important than their own.
Renaldo returned to the private room. Kyra was at the table with her fellow co-workers. He cast his eyes left to see that Catalina stood off to the side in a private conversation with Theodore Tate. After a few words were exchanged between the two Tate walked off in a huff of repressed rage. Catalina turned to the attendees.
“Everyone, can I have your attenzione! Per favore!” She clapped her hands and the silent chatter came to an end. “I want to thank you all for coming. From Mirabella and my brother you have our greatest appreciation for what you have done for the company. As you know there have been press and rumors about my family, about this company. We appreciate your loyalty in the past two years to Mirabella’s.”
A few people clapped and then more clapped. Catalina smiled. Renaldo had to admit he was proud of la piccoletta. She had come into her own as a businesswoman. He remembered when she was just a spoiled schoolgirl in a house full of mean men. Times had definitely changed. “You represent our brightest and most talented in this industry. I’ve seen it myself. So I’m happy to share with you that we are indeed expanding the business.”
People released deep sighs of relief and a few laughed and clapped with excitement. Catalina waved her hand to silence the group. “Unfortunately that means the New York office will be closing within the next six months. Expansion takes us to Italy and Paris, not America.”
The crowd went silent. Renaldo’s attention zeroed in on Kyra. Her face had a frozen look of disbelief.
Catalina continued as if nothing she said was worthy of the reaction she received. “Marietta and I discussed it. After meeting with you today we’ve decided to extend our stay for another few days to conduct interviews with those of you who would like to continue on at Mirabella’s and relocate to our other offices. For those of you that do not wish to do so, we will be meeting to arrange a proper compensation package and do everything in our power to help you transition to the next step in your careers. Now, eat, drink and have a good evening. I will see you all on Monday.”
The employees clapped for Catalina. She nodded at them and walked toward Renaldo. He followed her out of the private dining room to the elevators.
“Basta! What bullshit! I can’t believe Marietta left me to do that alone.” Catalina fumed. When the elevator doors opened she stomped inside. Renaldo slipped in his key card to their private floor. “If she isn’t going to be of help then she should go home.” Catalina shook her head. She wasn’t speaking to Renaldo. Not really. The Battaglia women walked and behaved as if the hired guns that shadowed them didn’t exist. But that anonymity didn’t protect Renaldo and his men from a tantrum or their wrath. These ladies were infamously hot tempered—no matter how poised and controlled they presented themselves to the public. Renaldo had a scar to the back of his head to prove it. He followed Catalina off the elevator and walked ahead of her to her room.
“Can you please hurry up, because I have to pee!” Catalina huffed.
“Sì Catalina,” Renaldo nodded. He opened the door and stepped inside first. He checked out the bedroom and bathroom, and all of the closets before he returned to escort Catalina inside.
“Oh shit!” Catalina said. “I left my purse downstairs. Can you get it for me?”
“Sì,” Renaldo nodded. He walked out and made sure the door was secure befo
re stepping away. He gave a nod to Tino who stood outside of Marietta’s door. The man nodded back that he’d be alert and watchful. Renaldo would also locate Peppino and make sure he took the first round of patrolling the halls where the women slept, and then switch off with Tino who would take on the rest of the night. He checked the time when the elevator dinged. He also needed to make a call to Dominic and report on the rest of the evening.
Renaldo rode the elevator down and returned to the dining hall. He was surprised to see so many people had left. There was enough booze and food to keep the party going until the sun rose. It was Friday. The women advised him that there would be no work on Saturday and Sunday. Therefore, no need for the early night.
“Boss?” Peppino walked over. “Should I go upstairs?” he asked in Italian.
“Yes. Wait,” Renaldo said. “I’ll keep my eyes on those leaving. You take Catalina her purse.”
Peppino nodded. Renaldo went inside to fetch it. He looked around and saw it was over near the suite of sofa chairs where the socializing had begun. And seated in one of the chairs was a dejected Kyra. The little shoe maker had her head bowed and her face in her hands. As he approached his walk slowed when he realized she was weeping. Renaldo frowned. Kyra didn’t see him. But she sensed him. Her face lifted and she looked away wiping at her tears.
“Ah, I thought everyone was gone,” she said.
He picked up Catalina’s purse with no reply. Her tears were her business, and he wasn’t a man to pry. But half way to the door the sounds of her weeping again made him pause. He stopped and glanced back. Her distress affected him more than he could conceive. He went to the door and gave Peppino the purse. He then closed the door to the private dining room. He and his weeping beauty were alone.
Renaldo walked over to the bar and picked a bottle of wine that had been left opened to breathe. He also chose two long stem glasses. He then returned to the window seating where Kyra was. She looked up when he sat across from her. The mascara she wore had smudged under her eyes. But still those eyes of hers were the most captivating he’d seen on a woman.
Scandalous Heroes Box Set Page 5
